The construction of buildings of concrete is typically accomplished by one of two methods. In a first method, forms are assembled at the construction site, typically from wood, in the shape of the desired object. The assembly of forms at the construction site is extremely labor intensive. Significant amounts of time are expended in the assembly of forms at the site, rendering construction schedules susceptible to delays from weather. The construction of forms corresponding accurately to plans requires careful measurement and alignment, which further increases the time involved in on-site processes.
In a second method, building elements of concrete, and generally of reinforced concrete, are constructed in a factory location. The use of a factory location overcomes some disadvantages, such as the need to properly align and construct forms at a construction site. However, transportation of concrete and reinforced concrete building elements is expensive, and is generally economical only for distances of, at most, a few hundred miles. The high cost derives from the fact that the concrete building elements are extremely heavy, often requiring specialized trucking equipment. The concrete building elements are also often not able to fit in standard truck beds, and require oversize load designations. Oversize load designations further increase the cost of transportation, by requiring special permits and accompanying vehicles to provide warnings.
It is an object of the invention to overcome the foregoing disadvantages of the prior art.
It is an advantage of the invention that the foregoing disadvantages of buildings and construction techniques of the prior art are overcome.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become evident from the detailed description which follows.